Agree with mr H here. Randy Newmans song is another chapter in his long history of writing satire where the narrator takes the role of a racist or someone else with unpleasant worldwiews. I find it rather funny and thought provoking.At the same time I agree with Mike that if Obama won t be reelected it has nothing to do with the colour of the presidents skin - more with how the voters feel he handles among other things the economic situation.but..that does t make the song less funny and true because there has been - from prominent right wings-accusations of the president being a secret muslim that they claim is not born in the USA. If that s not playing on prejudice I don t know what is..at the same time I agree with Mike that mr Romney shouldn t be attacked because of his wealth. That argument were even used by his fellow republicans in the race for being the republican candidatebutpolitics is a dirty business where both sides tend s to cross the line in their quest for powerbutRandy Newman is one of a kind when it comes to songwriting

Mike wrote:Typical rant from the left, change the subject, make it a racial issue. Has nothing to do the color of his skin, why do they always want to make it about that. It's like putting in the black guy was more important than anything he had accomplished to that date. It's now about what he has done (or in his case, hasn't), and how bad a job he is doing with failed policies in the most part. Just getting so sick of the left playing the race card anytime someone has something bad to say about this president. Please can you please think a bit more liberal and give people credit for their own intelligence and opinion and their right to come to their own conclusion and not immediately jump to the wrong conclusion. It's been either blame Bush or blame the color of his skin, get over it.

Of course there are extreme elements of society truly against the color of people's skin, just like there are extreme elements of society against hard working people making money and being successful.

The more vehement aspects of the opposition to Obama – Tea Party, birthers, the socialism accusations – have had a racial subtext.

May sweet memories of friends from the pastAlways comes to you, when you look for them

this is true, james...and that sort of thing gets alot of attention from the mainstream press because it's all sort of upfront and confrontational...but it really doesn't reflect the greater percentage of the populace and does not really give a realistic sense of the average (r) or thier concerns...

just as all the rantings of the fringe right...from palin or beck to limbaugh or fox news...do not portray accurately the average (d) or, for that matter, obama and his record

by and large...the overwhelming majority of americans (especially the younger they are) have been at a point where they really do not let race, as an issue, get in the way of political decisions...

which is one of the reasons i have a problem with all this: unfortunately, there will probably always be a few who will not...and the (r)'s have been very good at attempting to appeal to these voters...all without really...um...agreeing with them...we give them space to vent...and thus a bit of legitimacy...even though we don't agree with them, all in order to secure a few measly votes

at the end of the end it's the start of a journey to a much better place and this wasn't bad so a much better place would have to be special...no need to be sad...

however,to be fair, i think many r's just hate obama just because he's a dem. just like they hate all dems for being dems. i can accept that, i know i didn't have too many nice things to say about gw a few years back.

before most get their knickers in a twist here...i'd love to pose a question. who here...can and will criticize there own side? because that shows an ability to discuss politics rationally. if think your side is right all the time...then you have no intention of "discussing" politics. it's more like you like to lecture. this is an open question for both sides.

I want to tell her that I love her a lot, but I got to get a belly full of wine.

just for gits 'n shiggles, i'll remind you, my good friend, that i am now and have been a registered R...have been since i registered to vote on my 18th b-day - and that was a mighty long time ago...

i come from a mostly R family (there've been some defectors...first w/reagan..a few more with the shrub)...we are, none of us, fans of supply side theory (total rubbish !) or very conservative on the social issues ( we're all far more, shall i say, libertarian when it comes to such things: most of that stuff comes clearly and fully under the great NUNYO rule - as in its none yo' bizness !)

i have no problem crticizing my party...do it quite often, actually: heck, alot of times i do it more often than i criticize the other guys...mostly 'cause i want my team to do better and do not see it as doing so quite alot these days

still...up until recently, i find i voted the party line about 60-70 % pretty much all of the time, but i've always found quite a few D's who were/are easily better than some of the sots my party has foisted onto the ballot: that high percentage, though, is getting harder to do: there are an awful lot of crackpots in my party...

to me, it often feels like my party has been drifting way, way too far to the right...and i have no problem pointing that out

i fully realize that about a third of the country sees things the R way...a third the D way (romney was 100% wrong about this '47%' crap, i don't care what kind of crowd he was trying to play too)...and the last third will be where ever their little hearts take them that day...so it is foolish to think that every solution has to be a 100% R one...especially a 100% far right R one

i've been around long enough to know that this country is by no means a one stripe fits all kinda country, and it should not be. that means that basic honesty and plain ethics should inform us all these very, very one sided solutions my party keeps propagating really have no realistic bearing for the average american

at the end of the end it's the start of a journey to a much better place and this wasn't bad so a much better place would have to be special...no need to be sad...

mr h atom wrote:this is true, james...and that sort of thing gets alot of attention from the mainstream press because it's all sort of upfront and confrontational...but it really doesn't reflect the greater percentage of the populace and does not really give a realistic sense of the average (r) or thier concerns...

just as all the rantings of the fringe right...from palin or beck to limbaugh or fox news...do not portray accurately the average (d) or, for that matter, obama and his record

by and large...the overwhelming majority of americans (especially the younger they are) have been at a point where they really do not let race, as an issue, get in the way of political decisions...

which is one of the reasons i have a problem with all this: unfortunately, there will probably always be a few who will not...and the (r)'s have been very good at attempting to appeal to these voters...all without really...um...agreeing with them...we give them space to vent...and thus a bit of legitimacy...even though we don't agree with them, all in order to secure a few measly votes

Just because people who maybe racist, may have similar beliefs to the R's in other subjects, does not, and should not label all conservatives as racists, but that is what many on the left do. The sky is falling, blame Bush, label R's as racist, where it the D's whom always bring the race card into play to deflect the discussion from the real problems that should be front and center.

however,to be fair, i think many r's just hate obama just because he's a dem. just like they hate all dems for being dems. i can accept that, i know i didn't have too many nice things to say about gw a few years back.

The whole "racist" argument is a weak one. The vast majority of criticisms fired at Obama have had little to nothing to do with his skin color. Primarily it has been about his policies.

chris wrote:before most get their knickers in a twist here...i'd love to pose a question. who here...can and will criticize there own side? because that shows an ability to discuss politics rationally. if think your side is right all the time...then you have no intention of "discussing" politics. it's more like you like to lecture. this is an open question for both sides.

I think the word you're looking for is objective. And this is an excellent point. Those who are far too invested in their beliefs and the party they root for aren't interested in calling a spade a spade. Honestly, *both* parties have let us down and neither candidate is instilling a lot of confidence in me. Not at all looking forward to this election.

I agree wholehearedly. I have no idea who the heck I am going to vote for because frankly I don't like either one. Unfortunately, I have to vote for one and that is going to be a very hard decision for me.